Tech companies are pushing the FCC to preserve its net neutrality rules

Tech companies are pushing the Federal Communications Commission not to water down its rules on net neutrality, teeing up a confrontation between Silicon Valley and Washington as the nation’s top telecom regulator mulls a plan to undo the Obama administration’s regulations for Internet providers.

In a meeting with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on Tuesday, the Internet Association — which represents companies such as Google, Amazon and Netflix — said it maintains “vigorous support” for the agency’s net neutrality policy, which moved to regulate broadband companies, such as Comcast and Charter, like their predecessors in the legacy telephone business. Those rules ban the blocking or slowing of websites, and also prohibited Internet service providers from charging websites special fees for displaying them on consumers’ devices.

“Existing net neutrality rules should be enforced and kept intact,” the Internet Association wrote in a follow-up transparency filing.